Dental clamp



Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES WALTER I. BRIGHAM, OF FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

DENTAL CLAMP.

Application filed October 30, 1926.

This invention aims to provide an inexpensive compact dental clamp particularly adapted for positioning rubber dams on teeth while said teeth are undergoing dental operations.

In the accompanying drawings is shown merely for illustratiy e purposes an embodiment of the invention wherein:

Fig. l is an enlarged perspective view of the clamp;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the clamp.

The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated herein comprises a body 5 of bowed or substantially ring shape and com-- posed of resilient or spring wire that is of relatively small diameter so as not to interfere with work by the operator upon the tooth to which the device is clamped.

One end of the wire constituting the ring 5 terminates in a point 6 while the opposite end thereof is deflected laterally slightly at 7 and is again reversely bent at 8 in a direction toward and beyond the central plane of the ring and desirably beyond the opposite face of the ring so as to form a substantially symmetrical foot 9 in slightly spaced relation to the point 6, said foot being arranged to rest against one side of the neck of a tooth preferably at the back thereof and in directly opposed relation to said point 6.

By bending the wire at the points 7 and 8 the foot 9 will lie in substantially symmetrical relation and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the ring 5, thereby tending to avoid any twisting of the clamp when applied to the tooth.

To assist in maintaining the clamp in the desired position upon the tooth the foot 9 is slightly concaved at 10 on the side facing the point 6 and substantially conforms to the curvature of the neck of the tooth.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the entire clamp including the point 6 and foot 9 is made from a single integral piece of wire and this wire is preferably round spring Wire as the round wire is more easily bent to the required shape although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of round wire.

Obviously the gage of the wire used to form said clamp may be varied to correspond with the diameter of the ring 5, this gage being determined by the degree of ten- Serial No. 145,820.

sion required to maintain the point 6 and foot 9 in sufliciently firm contact with the tooth to hold the rubber dam in place.

The pressure at which the point 6 and foot 9 bear upon the tooth may further be varied by bending the ring to bring said point 6 and foot 9 When not in use nearer together or to move them farther apart as the case may be, thus making the clamp readily and easily adaptable to teeth of Varying sizes although it will be apparent in View of the natural spring to the material of the ring, that if the tooth engaging members 6 and 9 are placed substantially close together at the start there will be little need of further bending of the spring, at least in normal cases as the jaws will have to be sprung apart when the clamp is applied and their natural tendency to return will ordinarily be sufficient to hold the clamp yieldingly in place upon the tooth.

The point 6 when placed against the tooth tends to catch upon the tooth and prevent its slipping off and by placing this point in front there will be practically no interference with operations upon the tooth and no obscuring of the operators View of the cavity to be filled. I

Although I have fully disclosed one full and complete embodiment of my invention for illustrative purposes only, it is to be understood that the invent-ion is not limited thereto.

Claims:

1. A dental clamp comprising a single bow-shaped spring body terminating at opposite ends respectively in integral pointed and concaved tooth engaging portions, said pointed end and said concaved tooth engaging portion constituting the only parts of said clamp to engage the tooth.

2. A dental clamp comprising a single bowed resilient body, said body terminating at one end in an integral point to engage one side of a tooth and terminating at its opposite end in an integral laterally bent bearing portion constituting a curved steadying foot to be held in engagement with the opposite cervical portion of the tooth by said pointed end.

3. A dental clamp comprising a bowed wire body having one end terminating in a single point, the other end terminating in a foot disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the bowed body of said clamp and having a concaved face symmetrically arranged relatively to said plane in directly opposedrelation to said point.

4. A dental clamp composed of a single 5. A dental clamp composed of a single piece of spring Wire and comprising a single curved body terminating in closely spaced tooth engaging members one of said members including a transversely arranged foot disposed substantially symmetrical t0 the plane of said body and having a concaved tooth engaging surface the concaved face of said foot being arranged to engage the tooth in directly opposed relation to the other of said members.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER I. BRIGHA'B'I. 

